A tool for assessing patients' self-administration of medicines: an evaluation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Pharmaceutical care delivery includes securing patients' ability to make the most of their medicines and overcoming barriers to their independence. In the UK, hospitals are developing programmes for patients' self-administration of medicines during in-patient stays. Both for hospital use and for chronic disease management in primary care, there are demands for a tool to assess patients' competence in self-administration and to identify individuals' needs for education or alternative support. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are an important target for these programmes and yet no tool is available for this patient group. The study aimed to evaluate a self-administration of medicines tool in RA patients that addresses the domains of comprehension, motivation, reading, communication, dexterity, coordination, and swallowing